Khao San Road, Bangkok, Thailand – Two in the morning. Lights shining and music blaring from every direction. The air hot and humid filled with a thousand aromas. People from all over the world spilling out of bars and onto the streets. Merchants crowded onto the road selling suits, swim wear, tshirts, dresses, and jackets. Food carts packed with fresh pad thai, fried rice, and fruits. Little ladies selling buckets and deep fried scorpions. Kids running around trying to unload their roses and other knick knacks. There’s energy in the air, an indescribable buzz that can only be experienced in person.

A day and a half later…

North Beach, San Francisco, California – Ten at night. Devastatingly cold and cloudy. The streets are quiet and empty. The place is dead.

They call Thailand the “Land of Smiles” because of the country’s friendly people and fascinating culture. For me, thinking about the place usually brings a giant smile to my face.

Of all the countries I’ve been to, I’ve found Thailand to be one of the most accessible and easy places to travel. Combined with the laid back attitude of the Thais, the amazing food, the low cost, the beaches, and the parties, I believe the country is one of the best vacations spots on the planet.

Wow, has it really been over a year since I was here? Bogota, Colombia.

I looked at the calendar today and saw November 13, 2012. How time flies…

About a year ago, I had just finished my five week Colombia loop. After landing in Bogota, I made my way in a counter clock wise loop that took me to Villa de Leyva, San Gil, Santa Marta, Ciudad Perdida, Punta Gallinas, down the coast to Cartagena, south to Medellin, through Zona Caferta, and finally back to Bogota.

You’ve bought your ticket, got your guidebook, and now you’re ready to pack your bags. You look around at all the things you use on a daily basis, look at your backpack, and begin freaking out because you have NO IDEA how to fit it all in.

Fortunately, it’s not as hard as it seems. On all of my trips, whether they’ve been a couple weeks or months, hot or cold, beach or mountains, I’ve packed more or less the same stuff.

You don’t need to be a retired 30 year old millionaire to experience this.

One of the things people always ask me is how I can afford to take the trips that I do. To some, it is mind boggling that I manage to get out of the country a couple times per year. In reality, it’s not only possible, it’s relatively easy.

There are essentially three barriers to traveling: 1) money 2) time and 3) health. When you have all three, the world is your oyster. However, if you lack even one, making a trip happen becomes considerably harder.

Consider three cases: a 20 year old college student, a 28 year old white collar office worker, and a 65 year old retiree. The college student has plenty of time and is probably in or close to the best shape of her life. But unfortunately for her, she has no money. In many cases, the plane ticket alone costs a grand, a sum of money that is hard to come up with when you’re barely making enough to purchase Natty Light. The office worker, on the other hand, has built up a sizable nest egg. He’s also a fitness freak so health isn’t an issue. But guess what? His TPS reports are due every Monday morning and although company policy states that he gets 2 weeks off a year, no one actually takes it for fear of falling behind in the rat race. The retiree looks at the two and laughs because he’s got plenty of cash and lots of time. Except he’s laughing from a wheelchair. Try doing this in a Hoveround.

In front of me, two heavyset, middle aged men waited at the checkout line. Each wore tank tops that disguised their girth, flip flops, board shorts, sunglasses, and baseball caps. Both were white, with a hint of pink from the sun, and appeared as if they had been teleported from the American south. After their beer, cigarettes, and handles of booze were tallied, one reached into his shorts, handed the cashier a wad of cash and grunted – not a “thank you” or “goodbye” but rather some indecipherable, primal sound.

…the kind of mystical place you read about in books or see in movies, but rarely stumble upon in real life. Reaching this stunning wildscape, South America’s northernmost tip, isn’t exactly a skip down to the corner store, either. But those that make the effort will be rewarded with one of the most dazzling landscapes in South America, a sanctuary of solitude that equals travel Nirvana.

Mystical? Possibly. Tough to get to? Definitely. Travel Nirvana?! Might be a slight exaggeration. While Punta Gallinas may not have been quite as amazing as described in the Lonely Planet, it’s still pretty high up there on my list.